


Part Time Bodyguard

by Rachael Sabotini (wickedwords)



Category: Hidden Legacy Series - Ilona Andrews
Genre: Bodyguard, Cozy, F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28119816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedwords/pseuds/Rachael%20Sabotini
Summary: Arabella gets a part-time gig as Stephen's bodyguard.
Relationships: Arabella Baylor& Stephen Jiang
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Part Time Bodyguard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sadlikeknives](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadlikeknives/gifts).



It was all very serious. Arabella didn't get why the second set of interviews were necessary -- after all, Stephen Jiang had approached Baylor Investigations about a part-time bodyguard, not the other way around. But after a confidential meeting with House Jiang's head of security and a lot of paperwork, Arabella was finally issued a contractor's ID badge. She wanted it to say "Elite Bodyguard" rather than "Security Consultant," but she couldn't have everything. She'd only wear the badge when she was onsite, anyway.

Her notes boiled this incredibly important and serious meeting down to three bullet list items:

1\. Be honest: Since Arabella tended to just say stuff rather than thinking it through, honesty had always been best for her anyway. She'd had to learn to lie, just like she'd had to learn to control her anger, and it would be preferable to avoid even white lies if possible.  
2\. Be resourceful: A bylaw of Baylor Investigations.  
3\. Be discreet: Okay, that one might trip her up if she had to transform, as no one could call her 60-foot-tall monstrous alter ego discreet. If anything happened that required her to transform, discretion would be out the window and replaced with "run for your freaking lives."

Arabella mentally added a fourth:

4\. Don't swoon over the client.

Per the agreement, if Stephen needed her, he'd call a couple of days before, and she would pick him up at the security gate of whatever House Jiang facility he happened to be at that day. She'd drive him, attend whatever meeting or gathering was planned, and bring him back home.

It didn't sound like a bad gig, and it did play to her strengths: drive any routes they needed to travel, research anyone that Stephen's in-house security wanted her to investigate, and if shit went down, beat a few people up and run away. Easy-peasy.

She picked him up for a brunch meeting at Prime Palate, a local restaurant that catered to the arcane crowd. She'd checked it out the day before they were to meet there, walking through the kitchen and dining area, checking entrances and exits and the best way to escape the private room they'd been assigned if something happened.

Bern and Leon double-checked her info, and everyone agreed it was secure.

"Thank you," Stephen said gratefully as he slid into the passenger seat of her car. "I didn't want to have to take a full security complement with me today."

Now that Arabella thought about it, he looked anxious. "Everything good on your end?"

"Oh yes. After you left, my family reviewed the tape of your interview and our proposal in great detail, and given my experience at the Pit, they were persuaded." He blinked as he looked around her car. "I don't think I was expecting a red Mercedes."

"I take my baby everywhere," she said, patting the dash. She loved her little red Mercedes and she was sure that Stephen's family loved its armor plating. Grandma Frida was the best mech mage around, and she was fanatical about security and the family vehicles. "I mentioned it on page 32 of the application I had to fill out. Hey, can you answer a question?"

"As long as it's not related to anything confidential."

She snorted. "I am completely uninterested in your business dealings. Why doesn't your regular security have a personal shield mage? I know they aren't common, but my sister Nevada always travels with June, her personal aegis."

"My parents and the head of my House have them." He shook his head. "My family is very concerned about getting into a costly House war, and do anything they can to avoid it. They see my talents as useful but risky, as I might be tempted to strike out against someone instead of just paying them off."

"I've seen your work on the _"The Legend of Han Min,"_ and my sister Catalina told me about your fight at the Pit, so I don't get their point. You have great control." She guided them onto I-69.

"I wish that damn series had never been picked up by Netflix. It was fine when it was an obscure Chinese historical drama that Americans had to subscribe to a tiny niche service to see, but now..." He drifted off with a sigh. "I did not know how popular I would be."

"I wouldn't need a bodyguard if I hadn't been recognized." Tapping his knuckles absently against the car window, now upgraded to bulletproof glass, Stephen relaxed into the passenger seat and stretched out his long legs."Our security staff is prepared to deal with arcane threats, not television fans. They wanted me to travel with a full team all the time. I convinced them to run the numbers to prove that the right bodyguard was a cost effective choice." He looked over at her. "Your job isn't just to protect me from others, it's to insure that House Jiang isn't dragged into a civil suit because someone mistook a fan for an arcane assassin or a House war because I fought back."

 _Eyes on the road, girl, not on those amazing thighs._ "That's harsh. I'm sure they trust you. You know, my family didn't always trust my control over my powers. I had a really bad temper growing up and it took me a while to get that under control." She took a deep breath as she moved into the middle lane. "I was homeschooled for a while, as it was hard for me around other kids."

Adults too, on more than one occasion. "Why did you come to Baylor Investigations anyway? We're a pretty small team, and a small House. You could have gone with a larger org that would have given you more choice."

"I liked Catalina. She's not well known, but your sister is powerful. Plus I've seen her power in action, and I thought she would have a good handle on how to deal with fans rather than powerful Prime assassins trying to kill me. It was a matter of scale."

"And did she? Have good advice, I mean?"

"She recommended you. Tell me if that was good advice."

"I am awesome," Arabella said factually.

Stephen still looked pensive, and she attempted to reassure him. "I am very good at my job."

Despite her answer, Arabella wasn't sure if it was good advice or not. She knew what to do if people got overly grabby with Catalina and it endangered her life, or if someone attempted to kidnap any member of the family including Catalina's dog, but she was a big gun. Her control over individual aspects of her alter ego was hard won, and if the person she was up against was fully human, she couldn't use her complete arsenal against them.

Guess she'd just have to spend more time training to tap into part of her powers, rather than doing a full transformation. Good thing she was already working on that.

Arabella flicked on the radio, and her latest playlist came through: Postmodern Jukebox, with a jazz rendition of "Baby Got Back."

"That's funny." Stephen said, a smile creeping out from his drawn face. "I haven't heard this arrangement."

"I like things that are a little different." It was hard to explain. She really liked seeing one thing in the form of another. Jazz versions of rock standards, or country versions of rock, or gospel versions of rap music. It wasn't just music, though. She liked fusion foods, and clothes that could be worn multiple ways, or...or...things like her car, which no one who looked at it would think was literally built like a tank.

Stuff like her, so to speak. The way she looked like a fluffy white girl, and yet she was also a 60-foot-tall inhuman monster.

"My family would not appreciate it, but I do."

As they drove, Arabella could see Stephen relax bit by bit as the streets rolled by, and he was in a better mood by the time they got to the meeting.

That meeting went smoothly, as did the next one, and the one after that. It became almost a routine between them, with Arabella driving them to various restaurants, office buildings, construction sites, and warehouses throughout the city, talking about incidentals, their lives, or just listening to music as they rolled along.

Arabella parked on the nearly empty third floor of the garage, the one that had a sky bridge to the restaurant. As he unhooked his seatbelt, she laid her hand on his wrist. "Let me check it out first."

Reaching out for her magic, she plucked at the strand of blue in the rainbow of threads that surrounded her. Instantly, the world sharpened as she tapped into the senses of her inner monster: a stronger, more discriminating perception of scent and sound layered over her human senses. Nothing odd from what she could tell.

She let go of her magic. "Looks good. We can head inside."

He looked puzzled. "What did you just do?"

"I'm a metamorphose mage. I'm able to selectively access some of the abilities of my arcane form and use them without having to do a full transformation."

"That's quite sophisticated. I don't think I've heard of partial transformations like that. Is that why you were designated a Prime?"

"In part." Her whole life, she had hidden her arcane form, her family going so far as to get her records sealed so no one would know. It would be so much easier if her form was a normal creature, like a wolf, or a bear, or even a Himalayan vulture. But her form was monstrous, with curled horns and sharp claws and long black fur. She didn't want Stephen to know, because he might not treat her like a human anymore.

It had happened before. "If there are no more awkward questions, we can go. I double-checked our entrance for anyone with a heightened body odor or elevated heart rate, which might indicate someone lying in wait." She smiled at him. "All clear, and the food smells amazing."

"I recommend anything with the hand-pulled noodles."

"Oh, you're buying me lunch." She turned the car off and unfastened her seatbelt.

"Of course. I'm not going to have you sitting around and glaring at people while everyone else eats. I let them know I was bringing my bodyguard with me."

"Good." She scanned the parking area while Stephen exited her car. "They'll have found out it's someone with Baylor Investigations. Even though I'm not a truthseeker, I am related to one, and they will expect me to have a similar power and hide that my real job is to spy on them. So they will make a point of not actually lying, though they will shade the truth."

"You are a bundle of surprises, aren't you?"

"That's practically the House Baylor motto right there."

* * *

The meeting had run long, as expected, but it hadn't been focused on the construction job that Stephen had mentioned when he asked her to join him today. Arabella had spent more time watching the room than listening to the discussion, but it sounded like they were discussing a fan convention rather than building a convention site.

That was interesting, if true. More fodder for the idea that Stephen chafed under his family obligations. His hint about his popularity made her wonder if he was thinking of trying the convention circuit.

When they left the restaurant, Arabella picked up her strawberry caramel latte to go. Like all mages, she burned through a lot of calories accessing any part of her magical nature, so she was hungry a lot of the time. Large sugary drinks were one of her favorite ways to meet her caloric needs.

They were already in the parking garage when the sound of footsteps turned her around in time to catch sight of two women: the first was about 5 feet 10 inches, 160 pounds, black hair, East Asian heritage; the other shorter, curvier, white with red ombre hair.

The tall woman was wearing a T-shirt from an old PBS science fiction program. Arabella knew exactly what was going on as they stared at Stephen. "You're fans, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes we are."

The shorter one cleared her throat. "I love you on _The Legend of Han Min_! Do you mind if I take a photo?"

Arabella was all set for "no photos please" when Stephen grabbed her coffee and threw it up in the air, using the liquid to create a semi-circle of throwing stars in the air around them.

Arabella ran her hand over her face. "That's really not necessary," she muttered.

"Oh wow! I didn't think that was real," the shorter woman gasped.

"I did all of my own stunts," Stephen said proudly. "Arabella, would you mind taking the photos?"

"Personal photos only. No posting to Facebook, Instagram, or Herald." Arabella took their phones and snapped a couple of pictures of the two of them with Stephen. With the two women on one side, Stephen on the other, and the stars interspersed around them, It looked like a professional photo spot.

He went through a few more moves for them, and the fans watched with delight. Arabella opened up her senses to make sure no one else would see or approach them, but there was no one else around. Stephen took some time and played for a bit, striking other poses and letting a couple of the coffee stars drop and shatter against the parking garage floor.

The two fans smiled in delight at each other as Stephen went through his impromptu performance. Then Arabella handed them their phones with a strict "private only" reminder before they headed to the restaurant.

"Sorry to take you to a restaurant frequented by fans," Stephen said as he let the rest of his coffee ninja stars dissolve into a stream of liquid on the parking garage floor. He was breathing heavily, his hair mussed, his perfect face glowing with sweat. His suit, while rumpled, still fit him like a dream.

He'd absolutely expected this, she thought. He wanted to interact with his fans.

Arabella wondered if she would get credit for not getting anyone killed today, or if she'd get a lecture for being surprised by a fan in a dark parking garage. Knowing her mom, Grandma Frida, and the rest of her family, it could go either way, but on the plus side, she hadn't had to transform. On the minus, well, if there was trouble, she needed Stephen to let her handle it, rather than trying to take it on himself.

He looked happy. Must be tough for him to sit around all day, ignoring his talents, and trying to be respectable and responsible for his family's sake. Lord knew she would never be able to handle it.

Leaning against the car with an elaborate sigh, she said: "The important thing is you had fun and you survived. I do want to mention, though, that usually it's the bodyguard who runs out into the assassins and takes them out, not the client."

"I won't tell my family if you don't."

"Deal. But you also have to get me a new coffee, since you turned my old one into a set of caffeinated throwing stars."

"Can we drive through? I'm not dressed for anything better."

Waving her hand airily at him, she said, "Of course. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Laughing, Stephen slid into the car and Arabella headed for the nearest drive-through before taking him home. He leaned back against the passenger seat after he fastened his belt. "I'm afraid I lied earlier when I said that it was Catalina who brought me to Baylor Investigations." He took a deep breath. "It was you."

"Stephen, while I am flattered--"

"No, no. Sorry." He waved his hands at her. "Look, Catalina said you were a fan of the show, and I thought that would give you some insight into how to deal with other fans. That's why I suggested you be my bodyguard."

"And I'm sure you did a lot of research on me before making that suggestion." She hesitated a moment, but better to get this out of the way now. "You have been lying about knowing my alternate form, haven't you?"

Stephen hesitated, then nodded once, sharply. "I believe so. Several years ago the Beast of Cologne fought another arcane creature at a local mall, and the incident was related to your sister Nevada. I saw a video someone recorded on their cell phone of the fight."

Damn it. "And your family still let you hire me."

He blinked at her. "You are a certified Prime."

"Do you know what that means for a metamorphose? When I was tested, I had to transform into my beast and do some math problems in front of a panel, to prove my control over my form. The problems went through simple arithmetic through algebra. I didn't get that far -- maybe third grade math? -- but that was more than anyone expected of me. And that's why they rated me as a prime. I'm a beast, but I have my human mind." She felt resentment kindle in her stomach, and shoved it down. This was not the time for a road rage incident. "How do you feel about working with a beast?"

"I think it's amazing. I think you are amazing." He caught her gaze in the rear-view mirror for a minute, and she could tell he was sincere. He didn't think less of her because she transformed into a monster. "In case you didn't get it, I really like you, Arabella. I find you comfortable to be around."

She carefully edged out into traffic. "Not something you should spring on me when I am driving, you know."

"Noted." His voice sounded like he was smiling. "You may not know this, but even when you are driving or hanging out at a business meeting you could care less about, you look like you are having fun. I wish I had that talent."

"Yeah, well, sometimes people think I am a little too fun-oriented, and they want me to be more serious. I guess it is one of my goals in life."

"Don't get too serious. I like that you aren't focused on business all the time." He looked a little embarrassed as he brushed off the collar of his suit jacket. "In fact, today was perfect, Arabella, even though I wasn't up front about what might happen. Thank you."

"Just don't lie by omission anymore." The resentment she'd been gnawing on receded, and she accelerated into traffic. "So...am I your best bodyguard ever?"

"You are the only bodyguard I've ever had. Of course you're the best."

Mentally, Arabella patted herself on the back. "I'll take it."

The End.


End file.
